But if you don't want to have a Google account: Chrome is really good. Much faster than FF (I can't run FF on either of the laptops here) and more reliable (it restores your previous session if it crashes with 100% certainty).

And Chrome has a Personal Blocklist extension which does what you want.

Guys, I feel a little defeated in trying to understand infinitesimals. I'm sure you all think this is hilarious. But if I can't understand this, then I'm yet again stalled. How did you guys come to terms with them, later in your studies?

do you know the history? Calculus was invented based on the notion of infinitesimals. There were serious logical difficulties found in it, and a new theory developed based on limits. In modern times using some quite deep ideas from logic a new rigorous theory of infinitesimals was created.

@QED No. This is my question as best as I can put it: I understand that lim_{x->a} f(x) = f(a), but then to say that the gradient of the tangent curve is some value, is like saying that when x=a, then f(x) = f(a). The whole point of the limit, I thought, was to say, instead, that we don't know what f(a) is, but we can say that it approaches some value.

I have problem with showing that the limit of the following function
$$\frac{
\sqrt{\frac{3 \pi}{2n}} -
\int_0^{\sqrt 6}(
1-\frac{x^2}{6}
+\frac{x^4}{120})^ndx}{\frac{3}{20}\frac 1n \sqrt{\frac{3 \pi}{2n}}}$$
equal to $1$, with $n \to \infty$.

@QED When I said, "So if I'm working with function f, and f is continuous, my derivative dy/dx is by definition not continuous, since it is undefined at dx=0." I guess what I'm saying is that (f(x+h)-f(x))/h is not continuous since it's not defined at h=0.

@KorganRivera There are lots of things wrong with that: dx=0 is wrong. dy/dx - what/s y? "dy/dx is by definition not continuous" it's not a function how can you ask whether or not it's continous, ... etc.

In general this stuff with 'dy/dx' is supposed to help as some kind of memory aid, but since there's no rigorous mathematics behind it - all it's going to do is confuse people

in fact there was a big controversy about it since using it in obvious ways suggested by the notation leads to wrong results

@QED I'll work on trying to understand that the gradient of the tangent is the limit, rather than the gradient of the tangent approaches the limit. I'll read your proof. Thanks for your help. I think I just need some sleep. O_O

@NikhilBellarykar Either way, don't highlight everyone and ask them to check out some link. If you have a specific user which you think can say something in particular feel free to highlight them; you may also address "to all", but don't highlight several people like that.

@NikhilBellarykar No. I know what the link is. I have no idea why I am looking at it, what should I do about it, and frankly I have enough as it is. I use this chat to vent, not to exercise my better judgment.

@QED So now it makes sense to me that the derivative is the limit. What I think I was doing in my head was saying to myself that g(x) isn't continuous at x=h so how can I evaluate g(h)? But that's not what's happening. The derivative is the limit, not g(h).

Hey guys, I have a short question a friend of mine asked me which I cannot answer because I have not learnt about measure theory (or whatever is needed to answer the question) yet. He asks what is wrong with \int_0^{2 \pi} \frac{d}{dn} e^{inx} dx when he applies Lesbegue's dominated convergence theorem, because apparently, if he first integrates and then derives, the result is 0 but if he first derives and then integrates it's not 0. Does anyone know?